The Town of Smithtown Department of Environment and Waterways and Municipal Services Facility collected over 22 tons of waste at the Hazardous Household Waste event this weekend. On Saturday, April 22nd, 596 Smithtown households participated in safely disposing of 44,140 pounds of toxic items, which are prohibited in regular curbside waste pickups. This free event was held on Earth Day, and is another example of Smithtown residents coming together to protect the local environment in a safe and efficient way.
“We are pleased that so many residents took the time to celebrate Earth Day by participating in the hazardous waste drop-off event. A growing number of Smithtown residents continue to recognize the importance of proper disposal for potentially toxic products and seek environmentally responsible alternatives instead. There's no better impact to our local environment than protecting our groundwater, air, parks and waterways for future generations to enjoy.” - Mike Engelmann, Solid Waste Coordinator
Smithtown Municipal Services Facility employees worked in conjunction with Environmental Director David Barnes, Solid Waste Coordinator Mike Engelmann, Public Safety Fire Marshals, DEW staff and Covanta staff to safely secure materials. The exact weight collected was 22.07 tons (scale house net) in hazardous materials. This total is more than double what was collected at the October 2022 event.
Materials were collected and manifested for disposal by Radiac Research Corp. In addition to residents dropping off hazardous household waste, many circled their vehicles around to pick up bags of free mulch on the way out. Reusable water bottles and recyclable bags were also provided to interested residents.
A portion of the wastes collected for manifested disposal include: waste oil based paints/flammable paints, gasoline, paint thinners, waste gases, petroleum distillates, flammable solids, oxidizers liquids and solids, sodium/potassium nitrates, acids, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, misc. toxic liquids (i.e. Chlordane, etc.) and solids, lacquers, lithium batteries, battery acids and various other toxic compounds.
Covanta provided $5 Home Depot gift cards to over 100 residents for recycling potentially dangerous lithium-ion and other batteries, propane tanks and mercury containing devices, thereby preventing these harmful items from curbside disposal. Over 1,500 pounds of these materials were recycled.
There will be two more Hazardous Household Waste collection events in 2023. The next collection events are scheduled for July 8th and October 7th. These events are for Smithtown Township residents only. Proof of residency will be enforced.
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Residents can also dispose of electronic waste, free of charge, at the Town Recycling Center (located at 85 Old Northport Road). Electronic Waste such as computers, printers, TV’s, monitors, automotive and household batteries can be dropped off during regular hours for proper recycling.
Mulch is also available FREE OF CHARGE to residents. Smithtown residents can line up for pre-packaged bags of mulch with a maximum of 10 bags per visit. We offer free loading of loose mulch into your pick-up or dump truck. (Cover required)
The Smithtown Municipal Services Facility is located at 85 Old Northport Road in Kings Park, NY.
Regular Operating Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 7:00 AM to 11:45 AM and 12:45 PM to 3:15 PM